1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to mold assemblies for producing countertop products such as veneer and conventional solid surface countertops and cultured marble countertops and the like and, more particularly, to a mold assembly for producing a countertop with an integrally formed sink bowl and also preferably exhibiting a built-up edge and a method for producing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Mold assemblies and mold processes have recently become known in the art for producing a finished solid surface countertop which is constructed of various grades of a polyester resin or other similar resinous material. The objective of such more recent countertop mold assemblies is to make possible the creation of a solid surface countertop product in less time than has traditionally been possible with the use of prior art sheet-stock surfacing materials which of necessity must be cut and fabricated onto itself and other substrate materials, such as wooden backings, resulting in significantly higher material and labor costs.
An example of a fairly recent advancement in such mold technology is illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,949, entitled Mold Process for Producing A Finished Solid Surface Countertop. The '949 patent teaches the provision of a smooth and horizontally disposed mold surface upon which are constructed a plurality of barriers, the edges of which are then filleted to define a mold enclosure which is a negative shape of a countertop product to be produced. A relatively thin coating of a high quality resinous spray is then applied evenly over the exposed area of the mold and a first pour of a relatively lower grade substrate resin material is then applied, such as by pouring, to backfill over the higher grade surface coating. After sufficient drying and curing, additional barriers are constructed usually on top of the gelled first pour in proximity to selected inwardly facing sides of the mold and a further pour of substrate material is effected to establish a built-up edge for the selected sides. The countertop is permitted to fully gel and cure for an additional selected period of time and is then removed from the mold for subsequent installation.
The technology disclosed by the '949 patent has further been determined to be useful in creating a similar resin based countertop product exhibiting a built-up edge along selected outwardly facing sides as well as an integrally formed sink bowl such as is desirable for bathroom countertops. The drawback heretofore has been the inability to produce, on a production basis, such countertop products which effectively utilize this technology.